This application claims the priority of German application 196 21 009.7, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a cargo space covering for a motor vehicle having two lateral housing parts which are mutually assigned coaxially with respect to a longitudinal axis of the housing, for receiving a bearing shaft for a plane structure which can be wound onto it and unwound from it, the lateral housing parts being fastenable in the area of their exterior end faces in vehicle-fixed holding devices with at least one lateral housing part being pressable by spring force axially toward the outside from a release position releasing the vehicle-fixed holding devices into a locking position fastened in the vehicle-fixed holding devices.
Such a cargo space covering is known from German Patent Document DE 29 41 711 A1. The known cargo space covering has two cup-type lateral housing parts which can be fixed on their respective exterior ends by means of holding pins for the fastening in one corresponding, vehicle-fixed holding recess respectively. The opposite vehicle-fixed holding recesses are positioned in the cargo space of the motor vehicle such that, with its longitudinal housing axis, to which the lateral housing parts are aligned coaxially, the cargo space covering extends horizontally and transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the width of the cargo space. In order to insert the cargo space covering between the vehicle-fixed holding devices and to release it again from them, at least one of the two lateral housing parts is held in a spring-loaded linearly movable manner coaxially with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing. For inserting the cargo space covering in the vehicle-fixed holding devices, the movably held lateral housing part is in a simple manner pressed toward the inside along the longitudinal axis of the housing against a spring force, which reduces the spacing of the opposite exterior ends of the two lateral housing parts with respect to one another. Thus, the whole length of the housing of the cargo space covering is also reduced to an amount which is smaller than the distance of the vehicle-fixed holding devices with respect to one another so that the housing can be aligned in a simple manner with respect to the vehicle-fixed holding devices. Subsequently, the loading of the movable lateral housing part is removed in a simple manner whereby, because of the spring loading, the lateral housing part is pressed toward the outside. As a result, the housing of the cargo space covering is centered and fastened in the vehicle-fixed holding devices in that the respective holding pins on the exterior ends of the lateral housing parts are pressed into the holding recesses of the vehicle-fixed holding devices. The securing of the cargo space covering therefore takes place exclusively by way of the spring force axially affecting the lateral housing parts. For a releasing of the cargo space covering from the vehicle-fixed holding devices, the lateral housing part is simply pressed manually against the spring force axially toward the inside and the housing is removed from the vehicle-fixed holding devices. In the case of a side impact onto the motor vehicle, it is possible that the corresponding side impact load presses the lateral housing part adjoining the loaded side against the spring force inside the housing out of the vehicle-fixed holding device, whereby the cargo space covering may be thrown in an uncontrolled manner through the vehicle interior. Injuries to vehicle occupants as a result of the released cargo space covering cannot be excluded
It is an object of the invention to provide a cargo space covering of the initially mentioned type in the case of which, particularly with respect to side impact loads onto a motor vehicle provided with the cargo space covering, injuries to vehicle occupants caused by the cargo space covering are at least reduced.
This object is achieved according to preferred embodiments of the invention in that a locking device is assigned to the at least one lateral housing part, which locking device, when the locking position of the lateral housing part is reached, can be changed from an inoperative position into an operative position in which the locking device exercises an additional retaining force on the lateral housing part relative to the longitudinal axis of the housing which supplements the spring force. If both lateral housing parts are arranged in a spring-loaded linearly movable manner, a separate locking device is arranged for each lateral housing part, which separate locking devices can, however, be changed only jointly into their operative position and into their inoperative position. In this case, the locking device can exercise the required additional axial retaining force by a corresponding form closure as well as by a frictional connection. In the case of a particularly simply constructed embodiment, the change of the locking device from its inoperative position into the operative position exercising the retaining force can be carried out in a simple manner by the manual operation of a corresponding operating button, operating lever or similar device after the housing of the cargo space covering, by means of the pressing toward the outside of the lateral housing part, has reached its locking position between the vehicle-fixed holding devices which represents the installed position. As will be explained in the following, however, it is also possible to achieve an automatic forced locking by the locking device such that the locking device is automatically changed into the operative position during the axial movement of the lateral housing part toward the outside no later than at the point in time at which the housing of the cargo space covering has taken up its locking position within the vehicle-fixed holding devices. By means of the additional retaining force, side impact loads onto the vehicle can be compensated without any release of the cargo space covering from its vehicle-fixed holding devices.
As a further development of the invention, forced coupling devices are assigned to the locking device by means of which the locking device, during an axial movement of the lateral housing part toward the outside when the locking position in the vehicle-fixed holding devices is reached, can automatically be changed into the operative position. In this case, it is possible to provide corresponding kinematic mechanisms or spring-loaded detent pawl mechanisms. If a universally usable cargo space covering is provided which can be fixed in vehicle-fixed holding devices of different vehicle types which have different distances from one another, the locking positions of the lateral housing part relative to the longitudinal axis of the housing may also be arranged at different axial heights. Preferably the locking device including its forced coupling device is designed to be variable in such a manner that--irrespective of the axial height at which the locking position of the lateral housing part is reached--, it is forcibly guided into its operative position in any case so that the locking device can be used in the same manner universally for different vehicle types cargo space coverings.
In a further development of the invention, the forced coupling devices are in an operative connection with a manually detachable blocking device for fastening the lateral housing part in the release position releasing the vehicle-fixed holding devices relative to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The locking device according to the invention for locking the cargo space covering in its position fastened in the vehicle-fixed holding devices is expediently combined in this further development with a blocking device which fixes the movable lateral housing part in the release position, as described in detail in German Patent Document P 44 41 260.6-22 which is no prior publication. A corresponding U.S. application under Ser. No. 08/559,882 was filed in the USPTO on Nov. 20, 1995now U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,415, issued Oct. 14, 1997. As a result, a simplified mounting of the cargo space covering as well as an additional securing in its mounted condition is achieved.
In a further development of the invention, the locking device has devices for increasing the frictional connection between the movable lateral housing part and a part of the cargo space covering arranged stationarily with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing. In this further development, particularly brake shoes may be provided which increase the frictional engagement between the movable lateral housing part and the stationary part of the cargo space covering in the locking position of the lateral housing part.
In a further development of the invention, the locking device has a detent arrangement which achieves a form closure between the movable lateral housing part and a part of the cargo space covering which is arranged stationarily with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The achieving of a form closure provides by means of simple devices an extremely stable additional securing of the movable lateral housing part in its locking position.
In a further development of the invention, the detent arrangement has at least one spring-loaded movable detent element and, as a counterpart, a row of mutually adjoining detent points which extends along the longitudinal axis of the housing, which detent points are assigned to the lateral housing part, on the one hand, and to the stationary part of the cargo space covering, on the other hand. By means of the row of mutually adjoining detent points which extends along the longitudinal axis of the housing, it is possible to change the detent arrangement in different axial locking positions of the lateral housing part--depending on the dimensions of the respective vehicle-fixed holding devices--into its operative position and thus into its locking position. If this development is combined with the previously described forced coupling devices, an automatic locking takes place in the manner of a self-adjusting adaptation, depending on the axial position in which the locking position of the lateral housing part is reached.
In a further development of the invention, the spring-loaded movable detent element and/or the detent points are designed such that, during an axial movement of the lateral housing part relative to the longitudinal axis of the housing, the detent arrangement runs free toward the outside and, with the start of a reverse axial movement reaches a detent position which represents the operative position. In a particularly advantageous fashion, this further development has corresponding run-on bevels on the detent element or on the detent points which permit the sliding past one another of detent elements and detent points during the axial movement of the lateral housing part toward the outside. However, simultaneously, the opposite flanks of the detent elements or detent points must be constructed at a right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing such that, even at the start of the reverse axial movement, a form-locking reaching behind the respective detent flanks will occur.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.